by Fel Fern
The Omega wrapped the towel around his body. Lucas avoided looking at him. Milo would distract him, looking all bundled up and tempting like that. He should be focused on driving.
“Fine. I won’t mince words with you. A pack of Rogues recently moved into the mountain. My brothers and I got most of them but we missed out on a few.”
“W-what? Rogues?” Milo sputtered. “Are you joking?”
Lucas shook his head. This wasn’t the time for jokes. When he and his brothers decided to keep Grizzly Mountain Lodge running as a way to remember their parents, they never expected it to become a tourist attraction.
Somehow, as his brothers found their mates, they fixed the old place up. Hired loyal staff. Now, the business was booming. The only downside was, this mountain still attracted unsavory Rogues every now and then.
“I’m not. That’s why we tell our guests to give us a heads-up when they’re coming. That way, one of my brothers or I could make sure they arrived at the lodge in one piece. Didn’t you read the additional email we sent after your booking was confirmed?”
“No,” Milo answered in a small voice. “I was just wanted to get away.”
Lucas frowned. “Get away from what or who?”
“It’s nothing like that.”
Lucas said nothing for a few seconds. Eli, Liam’s mate, arrived on their lodge because he’d been running from his persistent ex. Some Omegas were brainwashed by their abusive Alpha partners into thinking it was okay to be pushed around.
Milo didn’t strike him as someone who’d take defeat lying down but what did Lucas know?
“Honest,” Milo added. Was the Omega unnerved by the silence in the truck? “I just broke up with my ex, or rather he moved out all of a sudden without any notice.”
“So you just wanted a little R&R for yourself?” Lucas asked.
“Yeah, but I didn’t expect this. You’re not pulling my leg? There are really Rogues here? Shifters who lost their sense of self don’t form packs.”
“Believe me, they do. It’s pretty rare but I’ve seen my share,” Lucas couldn’t keep the grimness out of his tone.
“You suddenly sound old and tired. You fought plenty of Rogues?”
“I don’t know what it is about this place, but it attracts them like flies.” Wow. Lucas normally didn’t open up this easily to a stranger. Somehow, it was easy to talk to Milo.
“Don’t the guests um. Complain?”
“To be honest, my brothers and I always wonder why the lodge is still so popular,” Lucas admitted. “I mean, loyal guests don’t seem to care that Rogues occasionally move into the mountain.”
“Why is that?”
“Maybe because they trust my brothers and me to take care of them,” Lucas said in a quiet voice.
“So you and your brothers are like what, Rogue hunters?” Milo shivered.
Was the Omega still cold or was he just scared? Lucas wished they weren’t in the truck so he could wrap his arms around Milo and pull him into a hug.
“Something of that sort.”
The mood in the truck changed. Lucas didn’t mean for the talk to turn dark. Now Milo looked like he had plenty of things on his mind. Shit. What if the Omega changed his mind all of a sudden?
If Milo decided he no longer wanted to stay at the lodge, where would that leave Lucas? He already started making plans in his head. Plans involving getting to know Milo better. Asking him out on a date.
A date. That was pretty laughable. Lucas had never been on a single date his entire life. He’d made fun of Liam and Logan when they went down that path. He’d hoped it was his turn next.
“I know this might make me sound like a paranoid coward,” Milo began. “But I felt something watching me when I got out of my car.
Shit. Could a Rogue have scented him? Lucas hoped Milo’s active imagination had gotten the better of him. Rogues were relentless hunters. Once they set their sights on their prey, they’d never stop until their prize was dead.
“We’re here,” he immediately said. Lucas wasn’t lying. While they were chatting, Lucas drove through the last patch of road that led to the front of the lodge.
Milo pressed his face against the glass. “The place looks as good as the pictures.” Milo murmured those words in a dreamy voice.
Somedays, Lucas couldn’t believe it himself. Had it only been two years ago that he and his brothers renovated and fixed up the once dilapidated lodge?
Back then, everything was falling apart, including their relationship and their lives. He and his brothers were all that was left of their family. Lucas could feel the bonds between them slowly fracturing.
Three Alphas who shared their skin with savage grizzlies weren’t meant to live together. They needed Omegas, partners to balance them out. Now Lucas was the only remaining Griffin brother without a mate.
“Give us a chance,” Lucas said. “The lodge I mean. Stay one night before changing your mind. I’ll guarantee you’ll love it. I’ll make sure no monster touches you.”
That earned him a small smile from the Omega. Lucas didn’t why he made that offer. He wasn’t usually this protective around strangers he just met.
Hell, selfish and self-absorbed were the two adjectives his brothers always used to describe him. For once in his life, he wasn’t just concerned about his own needs.
Milo looked deep in thought, then he nodded. “Okay. You’re right. I can’t let myself get spooked this easily. I’m going to prove to Harvey and myself that I’m not a chicken. I can do things on my own, even take a solo trip.”
“Who’s Harvey?” He asked.
Milo was already getting out of the truck. Lucas wondered if that was the name of Milo’s ex. Thank God, it stopped raining. Lucas stepped out and opened the back door to let Chubby out. He also grabbed Milo’s tiny wheeled luggage. He set it down.
“Thanks,” Milo said. “For the ride.”
“I’ll call someone to tow your truck,” Lucas said. “You might need to wait until tomorrow. The only car repair shop in town closes early.”
“That’s fine with me.”
Milo grabbed the handle of his luggage and began to wheel it to the lodge’s entrance. Chubby suddenly pressed himself against Lucas’ legs. The dog whined and he looked around his surroundings with narrowed eyes.
The grizzly inside him went haywire. Gut instinct told him they weren’t alone. Lucas spied movement through the trees.
“Milo, watch out!” Lucas yelled.
He sprung into motion. He managed to push Milo aside as the shadow in the trees leaped. It was too big to be a natural panther. Sharp claws raked at his sides, ripping cloth, then skin.
Milo let out a scream. Lucas looked over his shoulder to see another big panther padding towards Milo. The Rogue panther shifter was covered in rake marks. The monster was drooling. It flashed Milo a muzzle lined with razor-sharp yellow teeth.
Pain shot up his leg. His leg was warm with blood. Lucas growled, remembering he had another Rogue on his hands. Lucas let the grizzly out. Clothing ripped. Coarse brown fur covered his chest and shoulders.
The Rogue didn’t wait for him to finish shifting. Lucas raised his hand in time to protect himself. The Rogue sunk his sharp teeth into his arm instead. Lucas flung him away.
Milo’s gut-wrenching scream turned him berserk. How dare these puny cats attack Milo and him on his territory?
They should know better than show their ugly faces here. Lucas ran towards Milo. The second Rogue mauled Milo down. Milo lay on his back on the ground, his shirt and chest shredded. Lucas could see angry red skin torn out. A glimpse of white bone.
Lucas groweled. He swung one giant paw and swatted the Rogue away from Milo like a fly. Milo stared up at him, face pale. The Omega tried to speak but blood only came out of his mouth. Claws and fangs dug into his back. Lucas growled, shaking the Rogue off but it wouldn’t budge.
Fuck. Lucas couldn’t go all out, not when he had something important to protect. He refused to leave Milo
’s side. Lucas didn’t think Milo would survive another deadly blow. He had to keep Milo alive at all costs, even if these two Rogues ripped him to shreds.
A snarl filled the air and another scarred grizzly Alpha sprinted towards him. His older brother Liam shoved the Rogue panther shifter off his back, sending the cat flying through the air.
That left him to deal with the other one but the Rogue was nowhere in sight. He looked around. Lucas intended to chase and hunt that bastard down.
In his experience, Rogues didn’t know when to quit. Worse, these fuckers had Milo’s scent. Lucas couldn’t let a single one live. Milo gripped his fur so suddenly, Lucas stilled. He was shocked Milo still had enough strength in his fingers to reach out to him. Milo’s pleading blue eyes met him.
All his rage subsided. That was right. Lucas had a more important job to do. Let Liam take care of the Rogues. Lucas had to tend to his Omega. Milo sure as hell wasn’t dying on his watch.
3
Milo
Milo wove in and out of consciousness. Occasionally, he heard whispering voices in the background. What was happening? Where was he?
All he knew was this—he’d been having a particularly pleasant daydream. His car broke down but a sexy as hell Alpha stopped by to give him a ride. He remembered he liked bickering with that Alpha. Something Milo had never done in real life. Harvey liked obedient Omegas, not willful ones.
Was meeting Lucas a dream? Could he have conjured up an Alpha like that? Lucas seemed so real, so genuine.
The next time Milo woke up, the morning light nearly blinded him. He groaned, turning on his side.
“Five more minutes,” he muttered.
Surely, five minutes wouldn’t hurt. Just thinking about dragging his sorry ass to the office made him bury his face into the pillow. The very soft and nice smelling pillow. Huh. Milo was pretty sure he forgot to wash his sheets.
Anyway, back to his dilemma. He could already picture Todd’s smug face when he walked towards the cubicle. That other Omega loved to gossip, and lately, all Todd could talk about was Milo’s breakup with Harvey. No one was professional anymore these days.
Why didn’t the alarm on his phone go off?
Usually, Milo kept his phone under the pillow. That way, he could feel it vibrate and hear the alarm right away. Dang. He couldn’t stay in his dreams forever. Milo wanted to stick around a little longer. See if Lucas or maybe he would summon the courage to ask the Alpha out. He’d never taken initiative like that before but Milo decided he was willing to take a chance with Lucas.
He opened his eyes, only to see the object of his dream come alive. Lucas slumped in the armchair next to the bed, eyes closed. He looked horrible, wearing jeans and nothing else. Bandages covered his chest and arms. They looked like they needed changing, too.
Milo rubbed at his eyes. He sat up in bed abruptly, clawing at his shirt. No shirt. He was bare-chested as well. He touched his chest, expecting to find a mess of torn skin. His fingers only brushed against a rough scar.
What? How was that possible?
“Lucas called for a talented healer to take care of your wounds,” said an unfamiliar voice.
He looked up, saw an Omega watching him from the doorway. The Omega had dark blond hair and kind blue eyes. Milo wasn’t worried he was competition because he spotted a mate mark on the side of his neck. Not Lucas’. Another Alpha’s scent clung to him.
Milo assumed he was in one of the rooms of the lodge, except this space didn’t look impersonal. A large TV sat in one corner. There was a game console set up there.
Posters of classic rock groups hung on the walls. He inhaled. There it was. That comforting scent that immediately placed him at ease. Lucas’ scent. He was in Lucas’ room? Why?
Milo finally focused on Omega’s words. “A healer? Aren’t they expensive? Why didn’t he let the healer tend to his wounds?”
The Omega nodded. “There’s only one healer in town. Lucas told her to focus all her healing energy on you. I’m Eli by the way. I’m Liam’s mate. Liam is Lucas’ older brother, in case you didn’t know.”
He didn’t. Milo knew next to nothing about Lucas except the fact he and his brothers were Rogue hunters. He shivered. Goosebumps appeared across his arms and he rubbed them. He didn’t want to remember the attack but he forced himself to.
Those two Rogues came out of nowhere. One pounced on him but Lucas came to his rescue. He could immediately tell Lucas made it his number one priority to protect him.
There was also another grizzly shifter, another Alpha who joined the fight. All Milo could think about was Lucas. How the Alpha risked his life for him despite the fact they’d only just met.
“Why would he do all this for me?” Milo asked Eli. “I mean we’re practically strangers.”
“Eli, I’m awake,” said a new voice. Lucas sounded grumpy. Milo leaped to his feet, about to help the Alpha up but Lucas waved him off. “I’m not invalid but if you’re touching me because you can’t help yourself, then go ahead.”
The Alpha winked at him. Milo was at a loss for words. Eli was giggling. He was about to glare at the other Omega when a small, brownish object ran inside the room and jumped on the bed. His heart nearly stopped as a tiny werewolf cub peered up at him curiously.
Was this Eli’s daughter?
Gosh. How adorable. Milo had always wanted kids but Harvey always dismissed the idea. His ex wanted to focus on his career. Even though Milo offered to quit his job and care for their offspring full time, Harvey wouldn’t hear of it. Harvey thought kids were a hassle.
“Hello, sweetie,” he said. “Can I pick her up?”
“Sure,” Eli said. “Sophie’s friendly with everyone.”
He lifted the wolf cub to his face and frowned. Milo took a sniff at her. “Is she covered in pie crumbs? I think that’s blueberry jam on her nose.”
Lucas chuckled. The Alpha was suddenly standing by his shoulder. For a big guy, Lucas could sure move very quietly. Milo normally didn’t like being crowded by an Alpha but he felt at ease with Lucas. After all, this Alpha risked his fur for him. If Lucas hadn’t guarded him with his body, Milo would probably end up dead.
“Logan and Sophie are at it again, huh,” Lucas said.
The big tough Alpha reached out and rubbed at Sophie’s ears. She whined and wiggled in Milo’s arms. She clearly loved her uncle.
“Logan’s my other brother. Sophie and he can usually be found in the kitchen, stealing desserts. They always drive Billy, our resident chef, and Logan’s mate, up the wall,” Lucas added.
“There you are, you little menace,” boomed a new voice. Another Omega. He was wearing a chef’s hat and jacket. Milo was guessing this was Billy. “Logan ran off before I could confront him. Eli, you should really teach her it’s bad to steal.”
“Well, you know what a softie I am, Billy,” Eli said with a shrug.
Sophie started wiggling in his arms again. Milo guessed she was getting restless, so he set her back on the bed. She jumped off the bed and ran past Eli and Billy’s legs.
“Dang it. I need to go after her. Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, Milo. Let’s chat more soon,” Eli said, waving at him.
“So you’re Milo,” Billy said. The Omega eyed him critically and crossed his arms. “You better not end up breaking Lucas’ heart.”
He blinked, suddenly taken aback by the Omega’s attitude. What the hell was Billy talking about? Lucas and he weren't an item. Just because Lucas saved his sorry fur—wait.
Alphas didn’t just jump into a fight against a deadly Rogue for any random Omega. Besides, Milo was attracted to the cocky and sexy Alpha. He just wasn’t sure they were in the same league. After all, why would a handsome and protective Alpha like Lucas want a broken Omega like him?
“Billy, mind your own damn business,” Lucas said under his breath. “Shoo.”
Milo didn’t miss the affection in Lucas’ voice. It was clear to him that Lucas was close to his family. No doubt the other grizzly Alpha wh
o waded into the fight to help Lucas was one of his brothers.
A pang of longing shot through him. Milo never had that. His Alpha and Omega dads were obsessed with each other. After Milo left home for college, his parents considered their job done. They called during Thanksgivings and on his birthdays but that was the extent of their relationship.
“You better be careful of this one, Lucas. I’m not sure he’ll stick around,” Billy said.
“Billy,” Lucas said with a growl. Billy shrugged and left the room, leaving the two of them alone.
He swallowed because Billy was right. Milo didn’t fit in with these people. After being attacked by a Rogue, any sensible individual would pack his bags and head home.
Back in the city, Rogues were unheard of. If they did appear, law enforcement dealt with them. Out here, it was like living in the wilderness and mounters existed.
What else was waiting for him back home? An empty and large apartment. Loneliness. A job he hated. Most of the people he thought of as his friends took Harvey’s side. They disappeared, just like Harvey. Milo didn’t want friends like that anyway.
Another visitor entered the room. Chubby ran or rather limped inside. The German Shepard lay down right at Lucas’s feet. The Alpha bent down, despite his injuries, and began stroking his fur. Milo wished he was the one Lucas was giving belly rubs to.
Damn it. Being jealous of a dog? He was too pathetic for words.
Milo made his decision. One incident shouldn’t scare him. After all, he had Lucas in his corner. Surely it wouldn’t be so bad if he stayed. After all, Milo paid for a week’s stay at the lodge.
“I’m not sure how I can thank you for well…everything,” he said. “It’s not enough, but would you go out on a date with me?”
Wait. What just came out of his mouth?
Milo had always been passive when it came to dating. Admittedly, the only real relationship he’d ever had was with Harvey. That Alpha had been a grade-A jerk. He could tell right away from the get-go that Lucas was different, unlike any Alpha he’d never met.
Milo said his piece. It was up to Lucas to accept or reject his offer.